Background Checks Help Keep Predators Out of Your League

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The safety and well-being of all participants in the Little League® program is paramount. The background check laws in your state may require that local Little League® programs complete additional action(s) beyond the requirements set forth by Little League’s Regulation I (c) 8 and 9.

Simply processing background checks on the required volunteers is not enough. It is incumbent upon the League President and the Board of Directors to thoroughly assess the criminal history of each volunteer and make a responsible judgement on behalf of the children and fellow volunteers in the league when making the decision to approve, or deny, their participation in the league.

Effective with the 2019 Little League season, Regulation 1 (c) 9 requires: if an individual appears on the National Sex Offender Registry, the league must immediately notify Little League International Security Manager Samantha Mahaffey (570-326-1921, ext. 2211; e-mail: smahaffey@LittleLeague.org), before the individual in question may assume any role with the local league. This update has been put into effect to add another layer of protection for all Little Leaguers®.

Little League Regulation 1 (c) 9 also states: A league shall not permit any person to participate in any manner, whose background check reveals a conviction for, guilty plea, no contest plea, or admission to any crime involving or against a minor. A local league must conduct a nationwide search that contains the applicable government sex offender registry data and nationwide criminal records that is comparable to J.D. Palatine, the preferred background check provider of Little League International.

Again, it is imperative for a league to review each potential volunteer background check after the check is complete. On the J.D. Palatine (JDP) platform, a red flag would indicate if a potential volunteer has a charge on their background check. During this process, the local league must first determine if this charge prohibits them from participating by Little League Regulation. If not, the league official conducting the background check must present this information to either the League President or local board to determine if this individual is fit to participate in any manner in the league.